Queens Is Getting Its Own Drive-In Film Festival in Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Who knew we’d be boasting two drive-in movie theaters in Queens in 2020?! After the Bel Aire Diner did its thing, our own local Museum of the Moving Image has joined forces with Rooftop Films to bring the brand new “Queens Drive-In“ to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.

The exact date hasn’t been announced yet, but it will begin in August and run all the way through October! The same group also just opened the “Brooklyn Drive-In” on the pier of The Brooklyn Army Terminal this past weekend. To meet city and state safety guidelines, all participants must remain inside their cars at all times…but, they are working with the city to potentially allow socially distanced walk-ups at some point for those who don’t have cars.

Since so many film festivals were canceled this year due to COVID-19, the drive-ins will feature independent and foreign works, and it will be the public premiere for many of them! These include but are not limited to: Dawn Porter’s documentary John Lewis: Good Trouble; Max Barbakow’s Palm Springs; Amy Seimetz’s She Dies Tomorrow; Copper Raiff’s SXSW-winning debut Shithouse; Sami Khan’s feature-length follow-up to the Oscar-nominated St. Louis Superman, The Last Out; Rodrigo Ruiz Patterson’s Summer White (Blanco de Verano); Ramona Diaz’s urgent new documentary A Thousand Cuts; and many more.

“At MoMI, we believe in the excitement of being in the same space to watch movies, and in continuing the legacy of cinema as a shared experience,” said Carl Goodman, Executive Director, Museum of the Moving Image. “We are so pleased to join this partnership with Rooftop Films and NYSCI, as it allows us to bring communal moviegoing back to Queens during a time when many have been hit hard, including independent filmmakers who have lost the venues for their work.”

We're thrilled to announce the Queens Drive-In, presented in partnership w/ @RooftopFilms and @nysci. It opens this August in the heart of the borough at Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

Be the first to learn about upcoming shows and tickets by signing up at https://t.co/qeJBcaTQzL pic.twitter.com/Da5ZGsEYqY

— Museum of the Moving Image (@MovingImageNYC) July 21, 2020

And it isn’t even just about the films. Since the New York Hall of Science is also a partner, there will be special live demos, exciting DIY science projects, and expert presentations.

Programming will include:

• Premiere events and sneak preview screenings of new independent and foreign films programmed by Rooftop Films that reflect the diverse communities of Brooklyn and Queens.
• Classic repertory and thematic programming by the New York Hall of Science and Museum of the Moving Image, with series including Science on Screen, sci-fi showcase See It Big!: The Future Is Now, Queens on Film, Jim Henson’s World, and a special presentation of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
• Free programs for local communities, including new and classic family films
• Special events of all types, understanding that certain events will be restricted depending on New York’s re-opening phase.

It will also gives back to the community. A portion of public ticket sales from the Queens Drive-In will be donated to Elmcor, a long-standing youth and adult social services organization serving the communities of East Elmhurst and Corona. Plus, there will be special free screenings available for community members.

Tickets will start at $35 per car (with a four person per car max). Stay up-to-date on the Queens Drive-In website here!